Problem displaying image with WMP classic

[dipdog]

Hope someone can help with this. I have a Dell Latitude C600 with 1GHz processor and 256mb ram, WinXP Pro OS. One of the unfortunate things about this laptop is that the 8mb Mobility M3 GPU is fixed, so it can't be upgraded. I've noticed, when playing avi files that the playback is choppy sometimes. The video can become choppy when playing back on Winamp. The audio can become delayed when playing back on Windows Media Player. Just seems to change depending on which file I'm playing. Someone on another thread suggesting playing back with WMP classic, and sure enough it worked great.

So here is my question. I have the laptop connected to a tv with s-video. The driver that I'm using allows me to set the laptop as primary video and either a tv or another monitor as clone. With Winamp and WMP, I am always able to set the laptop as primary and tv as clone so that the avi files shows up on both. However, with WMP classic for some reason, when I set the laptop as primary and the tv as clone, the window in the player shows the avi file on the laptop, but it's just black on the tv (ie you can see the computer screen and the player on the tv, but no avi image. just a black frame inside the player). When I set the tv as primary, then the avi file shows up inside the screen on the tv, but the screen goes blank on the laptop (which is why I'd rather not use this setting - it confuses anyone else trying to use the laptop). I've seen other threads mentioning similiar problems (video not showing up in the player). I just can't figure out why the primary/clone setting works with Winamp and WMP, but not with WMP classic? Are there settings somewhere that I need to adjust. I've played around alot with the video options menu in WMP classic, but nothing seems to help.

[clsid]

WMP Classic does not exist. It's called Media Player Classic (MPC) and has nothing to do with Microsoft.

Change the renderer to Overlay in the options.

[KoD]

Probably because in MPC (Media Player Classic, has nothing to do with Microsoft's Windows Media Player WMP) the video renderer is set to Overlay (that's why it's so fast). You can see this in View -> Options -> Output -> DirectShow Video = Overlay Mixer.

Nothing to do about it, there is only one overlay surface and video cards usually are only able to use the overlay surface only for one display.

Does your video driver allow you to set the laptop screen and the tv out in other modes than clone ? Or to extend the desktop ? This way, you could simply move MPC to the TV screen and open the file while the player is on the TV screen (and not your laptop screen). This way, the overlay surface is used for the tv screen, not for the laptop screen.

[dipdog]

Thanx for your replies. As you both mentioned, Media Player Classic, not WMP classic. Renderer was not set to overlay, but the image does not seem to appear on the tv, regardless of which renderer I use (overlay mixer or any other).

KoD, I'm not aware of any other available setting. On the display page, there is a tab for laptop, spare monitor, and tv. Each one has a button for primary and a button for clone. It sounds like maybe what you are referring to is setting the tv as primary and the laptop as clone. When I do that, the file plays just fine on the tv, but you cannot set an image on the laptop (laptop screen is blank). I was trying to avoid that setup (easier to run the controls from the laptop screen).

I think I understand what you're saying about the overlay image, only working on one screen. Is there a reason why I can use a different renderer that allows both screens to show the display in Winamp and WMP, but not in Classic? Or are there any other players you could suggest that would solve both problems (smooth playback, image on both screens)?

Appreciate your help!

- Scott

[KoD]

VMR7 Windowed also uses Overlay so that mode might also give you the same problem. Or it may work, if the video driver doen't misbehave.

What I was thinking was of extending the desktop, so that both screens are part of the same desktop (called a virtual desktop). You could easily pick something from the laptop screen and move it on the portion of the desktop shown on the tv screen. You could launch MPC, it's window would appear on the laptop screen, pick it with your mouse pointer and move MPC's window to the portion of the desktop shown on the TV screen and only then open the file in MPC (with File -> Open). This way, overlay would be used for the tv out.

If Overlay does not work, the other possibility is to use the existing renderers: VMR7 Renderless and any of the VMR9 modes. These renderers are more cpu hungry, and this might be the main reason why you don't have smooth playback. If during playback you open taskmanager (Ctrl+Alt+Del) and notice cpu usage close to 100%, then that's why playback is choppy or desynchronization between sound and image appears.

[dipdog]

Thanks again for your reply. I'm assuming from what you've said that WMP and Winamp probably use renderers which are not overlay (?). I have tried selecting each of the different renderers in MPC and I guess that's the part I still don't understand. Even when I select renderers that don't use overlay, MPC still won't display an image on both monitors (laptop and tv)?

[foxyshadis]

When you change renderers, do you close and restart MPC, or at least reload the video? That's the only way to get it to change renderers, it isn't immediate.

Have you checked to see if there are any driver updates for this integrated card? (Sometimes they aren't in your system's, you have to look around for different newer systems with the same card, since OEMs are lazy and don't care about driver support.) Otherwise, no idea. It might require its own built-in theater application, I don't know.

[dipdog]

Oh, that was pretty simple. I assumed Classic automatically made the changes like WMP. Anyhow, ended up showing up perfect with VMR9 Windowed. Course, as you already pointed out, then it takes up CPU and isn't smooth anymore! Oh well.

When you were talking about extending the laptop, would that have to be a function of the driver software, or is there a standalone program that might do the same thing?

[KoD]

Extending the desktop would usually be a function of the video driver, indeed. I don't know if a 3rd party standalone software exists, but there might be.

[gameplaya15143]

Look in your display's advanced options for 'theater mode' (possibly called something else). If you have that option, turn it on.

My laptop has 32mb ati 7500 video, with theater mode enabled, my tv will clone my main monitor untill a video is played, at which point the video is full screen on the tv (overlay takes over).